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Going on a holiday? Don’t forget to activate the PIN on your payment card

Mar 17, 2017

Assalamualaikum and Olla everyone!

Like many other people out there, we like to plan our holidays ahead of time. Where to stay, where to eat, whether to buy travel insurance, whether to bring our kids, how much to spend, and the list can be quite lengthy at times especially if it’s a trip abroad. However, we have found that no matter how much planning we do, things can still go awry!

Like for example our trip to Bangkok last year, everything was pretty much smooth-sailing until my husband got pick-pocketed! OMG! Also during our trip to the Maldives we had a heart-pounding moment when we misplaced our passport. Silly I know, but it could happen to anyone. What I mean to say is that, anything can happen but it best to be prepared. Such as having extra cash in a few different compartments as emergency funds and ensuring your payment cards are activated well in advance so in the event you need to make unplanned purchases or transactions, you can.

I remember around 6 years ago, my husband and I went for our honeymoon in Tioman. We brought very little cash with us as we were planning to use the Automated Teller Machines ( ATMs ) at the island. And guess what? The island had only ONE ATM machine and the moment we arrived, the only machine ran out of cash. To top it off, it was a Friday. Which meant we could only have access to cash on Monday. What a lovely way to spend the honeymoon… CASHLESS on an island that mostly accepts cash transactions. LOL

The main intention of my writing this post is really to remind all of you, to activate your PIN-enabled Visa cards before going on holiday. Regardless of whether you are travelling locally or abroad, you will need to know the PINs on your Visa cards as Malaysian retailers have switched to PIN & PAY since January 1st, 2017 and various countries have already implemented this payment system. I mean you don’t want to go for a holiday and not be able to make any transactions, right?

Basically, all you need to do is ring up or visit your local bank to ensure your card is PIN-enabled and memorise the 6-digit secret code.

How to use your PIN-enabled card :

1) Hand it to the cashier who will swipe or insert it in the terminal

2) Wait for the prompt

3) Key in your PIN and press enter

Do you know that after 1 July 2017, you will no longer be able to use your payment card at domestic points of sale, if you do not know your PIN? (Unless, you are using payWave which is applicable only for purchases below RM250.)

So for those who haven’t enabled your PIN, a gentle reminder to do so quickly, so you can be assured of smooth, hassle-free payments no matter where you go!

By the way, a little digression here - Did you know that for small purchases below RM250, Visa payWave makes for super-fast transactions? I have tried using the Visa payWave method while buying groceries. All you have to do is just wave your card in front of the card reader once the store assistant gives the cue. I am actually impressed with how fast and efficient Visa payWave can be. Less time queuing to pay up.. haha

Here is a picture of my husband enjoying our previous vacation. How I miss the crystal clear waters and sun-kissed beaches! Maybe we should plan for a holiday soon! Anyway, I am at the end of my post. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Don’t wait to activate your PIN-enabled Visa card!